Believe Greater Dalton

What Believe Greater Dalton does

Believe Greater Dalton is a nonprofit community development initiative launched in 2018 as the strategic arm of the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, serving Dalton, Georgia and Whitfield County. It coordinates activity across six pillars: housing, education, entrepreneurship, economic development, downtown revitalization, and community pride. Its work is anchored in resident input gathered through three community surveys (2016, 2020, 2023) that cumulatively engaged more than 10,000 respondents and shaped successive five-year strategic plans, the most recent being Believe 2.0 (2024-2027).

The organization's primary user-facing products are the Discover Dalton Pass, a free mobile-friendly digital passport with themed passes (Hike & Bike, Picnic & Play, Disc Golf, Taco Trail, Running Club) delivered via text and email, and the 100 Cool Things About Dalton guide. Programs include Project Purpose (a workforce-to-employment pipeline placing high school graduates at local employers), Gratefull Dalton (a community Thanksgiving meal that drew 1,200+ attendees in year one), Dalton Reads mobile library, Reading Rallies, and support for the Downtown Master Plan delivered with the Carl Vincent Institute at UGA.

Believe Greater Dalton generates no product revenue; all programs and resources are provided free to the community. Funding comes from local investment (approximately $2 million deployed since 2018), state and local grants (including $1.5 million plus $622K local match for workforce housing), donations processed through the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, and in-kind support from employer and institutional partners. The core team is led by a Dual Executive Director, Dual Project Manager, and Finance lead, with marketing handled by an external agency; the organization operates within the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce infrastructure.

Name

Believe Greater Dalton

Legal name

Believe Greater Dalton

Website

https://believegreaterdalton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Believe Greater Dalton is a nonprofit community development initiative under the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, coordinating housing, education, economic development, downtown, entrepreneurship, and community-pride programs for residents and employers in Dalton and Whitfield County, Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mini Golf & Attractions Centers (Mini Golf, Go-Karts, Laser Tag Complexes) (THAJAEAK)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Workforce development programs
• Housing development initiatives
• Downtown revitalization
• Community engagement events

Headquarters

HQ city

Dalton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Believe Greater Dalton has received and deployed nearly $2 million in local investment to fund housing studies, downtown master planning, workforce development programs, and community events.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia to support community development initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Believe Greater Dalton is a nonprofit community development initiative that coordinates housing development, workforce programs, literacy initiatives, downtown revitalization, and community events for the Greater Dalton, GA region. It operates the Discover Dalton Pass digital engagement platform and 100 Cool Things About Dalton guide as its primary consumer-facing offerings, while partnering with local employers, schools, and government to drive quality-of-life and economic-development outcomes. All programs and resources are provided free of charge to residents and visitors.

Product overview

Believe Greater Dalton operates as a community development strategic initiative under the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce. Its primary digital products include the Discover Dalton Pass, a free mobile-exclusive passport platform with multiple themed passes (Hike & Bike, Picnic & Play, Disc Golf, Taco Trail, Running Club) that enables users to explore local attractions and win prizes, and the 100 Cool Things About Dalton guide. The organization functions primarily as a content and community engagement platform rather than a traditional software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Discover Dalton Pass A free mobile-friendly digital passport that helps residents and visitors explore outdoor activities, hiking and biking trails, local shops, and hidden gems throughout Greater Dalton. Delivered via text/email with no app download required; available themed passes include Hike & Bike Pass, Picnic & Play Pass, Disc Golf Pass, Dalton Taco Trail, and Soal Running Club.
• 100 Cool Things About Dalton A downloadable comprehensive guide listing 100 notable attractions, events, and experiences in Greater Dalton across categories including community culture, history heritage, art creativity, music events, fairs festivals, holidays, sports outdoors, and learning legacy. Targeted at residents and prospective residents/visitors.
• Project Purpose A career pathway and workforce development program that places high school graduates into full-time jobs with local employers (Qcells, Shaw Industries, HealthOne Alliance). Designed to address regional workforce shortages and create local career opportunities for residents.
• Gratefull Dalton An annual community Thanksgiving event held in Greater Dalton that brings residents together around a single long table for a shared meal. Launched in 2019 with 1,200+ attendees, it has grown into a recurring tradition drawing 2,000+ attendees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 900+ new multifamily housing units built since 2018
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Greater Dalton Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Believe Greater Dalton is the community development arm of the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber provides organizational infrastructure, leadership, and coordination for the initiative's six strategic focus areas: housing, education, entrepreneurship, economic development, downtown, and community pride.
• Flooring Capital Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCDC became an official nonprofit to lead housing needs across the continuum from workforce homes to CEO housing. It has conducted housing research, developed workforce housing projects including the South Hamilton Street project, and partners with Believe Greater Dalton on housing strategy.
• Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe JDA works on industrial recruitment and economic development, landing major employers including Qcells, GEDIA, and Essentia. Believe Greater Dalton supports JDA deals and collaborates on workforce development initiatives.
• Dalton State CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDalton State College is a key education partner, offering workforce-aligned degree programs through the Wright School of Business and serving as a talent pipeline for local employers. The college recently became Georgia's first Hispanic-Serving Institution.
• Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNTC provides workforce-focused training in fields like robotics, culinary arts, and technical skills. Partners with Whitfield County Schools through the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy and has articulation agreements with Dalton State College.
• Carl Vincent Institute at UGAsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBelieve Greater Dalton funded the Downtown Master Plan working with the Carl Vincent Institute at UGA and seeking input from the Downtown Dalton Authority to map out a more beautiful, walkable city center.
• StriveTogether NetworksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDalton joined the StriveTogether national network to align schools, businesses, and higher education for talent pipeline growth. Collaboration between local schools, the Chamber, and JDA continues to support workforce development.
• Dalton Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDalton Public Schools serves approximately 7,700 students and partners with Believe on literacy initiatives (Dalton Reads Mobile Library), Project Purpose career program, and early literacy efforts. The district has earned recognition including Cognia Systems Accreditation.
• Whitfield County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhitfield County Schools serves students outside city limits and partners on workforce development, career pathways, and the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy. The Board was named a 2024 Exemplary School Board by GSBA.
• Dalton Innovation AcceleratorsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe DIA was launched to support entrepreneurship, host pitch competitions, and embed entrepreneurial thinking into schools. Now houses the National Podcast Project nonprofit founded by local teacher Amanda Triplett.
• QcellscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQcells invested $500 million to build the largest solar manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere at Carbondale Business Park, creating over 1,500 jobs. The company partners with local schools and workforce programs.
• Shaw IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShaw Industries is a major flooring manufacturer employing thousands locally. Partners with Believe Greater Dalton on workforce development initiatives including Project Purpose.
• Community Foundation of Northwest GeorgiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Community Foundation provides donation processing for Believe Greater Dalton through its website and has been involved in Burr Park development including the Performing Arts Park.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StriveTogether: National Cradle-to-Career Network that partners with place-based communities to align schools, employers, and higher education for outcome-based talent pipelines. Directly comparable because BGD is part of StriveTogether's network and applies a similar outcomes-based, data-driven community development framework.
• Main Street America: National downtown revitalization program supporting community-based economic development in small and mid-sized cities. Comparable because BGD's downtown revitalization efforts (Burr Park, master planning, attracting new businesses) align with Main Street's place-based, commercial-corridor development model.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution investing in affordable housing, economic development, and healthy communities. Comparable because BGD's housing-study-to-construction pipeline (workforce homes, multifamily units) parallels LISC's housing-finance plus community-development model.
• Spartanburg Academic Movement: Place-based, cradle-to-career community outcomes network serving Spartanburg County, SC with employer-led talent pipeline strategies. Comparable because it operates a similar model combining community surveys, employer alignment, and education-to-workforce pipelines akin to BGD's Project Purpose and StriveTogether affiliation.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that combines affordable housing development with broader community and economic development initiatives. Comparable due to overlapping focus on housing supply, workforce housing strategy, and community-level partnerships that BGD pursues through FCDC.
• Living Cities: National collaborative of philanthropies and financial institutions working on urban community development, housing, and economic opportunity. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder community development intermediary that coordinates housing, workforce, and equity initiatives across public-private partners.

Others

• Build Healthy Places Network: National network catalyzing cross-sector collaboration to improve community health through housing, economic development, and place-based investment. Comparable due to overlapping focus on the intersection of housing, economic opportunity, and community well-being pursued by BGD.
• Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group: National program advancing equitable community development through research, leadership, and place-based strategy support. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant whose research, leadership, and community-building methods inform similar place-based initiatives like BGD.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga: Regional community foundation serving a neighboring Northwest Georgia/Southeast Tennessee market with grantmaking and place-based initiatives. Comparable as a regional community foundation that processes donations and co-invests in housing, education, and quality-of-life outcomes similar to those supported by BGD.
• Foundation for the Carolinas: Large regional community foundation supporting place-based economic development, affordable housing, and education across the Carolinas. Comparable as a community foundation channeling philanthropic capital toward measurable regional development outcomes similar to BGD's model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@believegreaterdalton8650
• Facebookfacebook.com/believegreaterdalton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/believe-greater-dalton
• Instagraminstagram.com/believegreaterdalton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Believe Greater Dalton